Home is Where the Heart Is

Have you ever tried to caulk? Have you ever tried to caulk on less than three hours of sleep to Channing Tatum talking about cheese? This is the story of a curly-haired girl with a sequined shirt learning how to caulk some wood.

I was super inspired by my hometown of Ste. Genevieve this week because, on Tuesday, I’ll be traveling back for Thanksgiving. But first, I’m heading to Chicago for yet another conference. You could say I’m getting a bit homesick with all the traveling. A wise man once said, “It don’t matter where we go, we’ll always find our way back home.”

So, today, I tested this theory with my string art project. Does that make it a string theory? I went by Home Depot and got five planks of wood, caulk, and stain. I choose the color “barn red” because it’s my mom’s favorite, and I miss her. I then stuck the pieces together with the caulk and began to stain the wood. When I lifted the newly formed canvas, it broke in half. I spent hours of caulk, concrete glue, and even duct tape trying to get it to stick. It was like a group project. No matter how hard you tried to keep it together, no amount of glue can keep it from falling apart.

Next, print out a map of Missouri, and a small heart. Cut them out and tape them down on the boards. Take small nails and outline the map with them. Make sure to hammer them until they aren’t wobbly. Once all the nails are in, take off the map and heart.

Tie the string to one of the nails and alternate wrapping it around the inside and outside nails. I ran out of string with four strands from Walmart, but it was 1:30 a.m., so I couldn’t finish.

The string art itself was not difficult and looks incredibly awesome, but the wooden canvas still doesn’t stick, which makes the piece impractical. I don’t like impractical things. If I could change this project, I would definitely pick another method to do the canvas.

Choose wood that is the perfect size and type!

Pick your favorite sample size of stain to color the wood.

Use a map to outline the state. You can make shapes and letters as well.

I wish I could tell you how to make the boards stick together, but I’m still in a pickle.

I’m not going to stress over it, though. Just because something doesn’t stick together doesn’t mean it’s not beautiful (foreshadow). Plus, I’ll be eating deep dish pizza in less than 12 hours.

If you like the urban rustic feel of this project or if you know how to stick wood together, let me know in the comments section. I’ll see you after break, kiddos!